Kiren Rijju insists Rahul to apologise; says citizens won't remain silent if country is defamed

Amid row over Rahul's overseas remarks on democracy and stifling of Opposition, Union law minister Kiren Rijiju today said citizens would not remain silent if India is defamed.

New Delhi: Union law minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his recent comments on India in London saying citizens cannot remain silent if the latter "defames the country". Rijiju said Gandhi had lied by saying he lacked freedom of speech. His reiterating his demand amid the Opposition is rallying against the ruling party demanding a probe on Adani-Hindenburg meltdown.

"The person who is the most vocal in the country and targets the government throughout the day has complained of not having freedom of speech," he said. "Gandhi can drown the Congress, we are not bothered and if the party gets into any trouble with Rahul's comments then we have nothing to do with it," he said.

But, if he tries to harm or insult the country, then citizens would not remain silent," Rijiju told reporters. We demand that Gandhi should apologise for whatever he told, the Union Minister added. The Congress has already refused to apologise. For the last three days, Parliament has been facing disruptions with BJP MLAs seeks Gandhi's apology and Congress and other Opposition parties demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry into Adani-Hindenburg case.

Hitting out at the Congress, Rijju said that the party has been rejected by the people and this cannot be digested by the people. "Just because the country has rejected the Congress leadership, it does not mean that Gandhi can tarnish the image of the nation abroad,". He said that Gandhi could insult the BJP leaders as much as he wished, the party was not bothered at all. But, abusing the country won't be tolerated, he added.

"Being an MP I cannot keep quite. It is most unfortunate that despite being an MP Gandhi has shamed the Parliament," Rijiju said and also alleged the Congress leader of speaking the same language as all the anti-India forces. Last month, while speaking at Cambridge University, Gandhi had said that everyone knows that Indian democracy was under pressure and attack.